Exile: A Maximum Ride FanFiction
by icefire6182
Summary: Fang Spoilers! Despite Fang's letter, Max sets out to find him, leaving the flock behind. Meanwhile the Flock gets used to Dylan, and faces a new threat, who takes advantage of the flock being broken up. Full summary inside
1. Chapter 1

Exile

A Maximum Ride Novel

Summary: Despite Fang's note, Max sets out to find him. Leaving the safety and comfort of her family and friends, she sets out to find her soul mate. What she doesn't know is there is a new assassin tracking her footsteps, waiting for the right chance to kill her.

The Flock is fragmented, broken into three pieces, and a new threat takes advantage of the once amazing family's separation to launch a new plan to destroy the world.

Max/Fang, Max/Dylan,

I suck at summaries. I'll update every few days.

Part One: A Fragmented World

1

I remember reading about the Modernism Literature in history once. Back in Virginia. Scholars said it was a time when America was divided, fragmented. There were different classes, and everyone only cared about themselves. Big Wigs like Hemmingway wrote about how even people were fragmented. If I knew where Hemmingway lived, I'd fly to his house and sue him for everything he owns, because he obviously got his inspiration from me.

My world is fragmented.

My flock is fragmented.

My heart is fragmented.

I guess I should explain what I'm rambling on about. My world is fragmented because my flock is fragmented. That was easy enough. My flock was fragmented because Angel and I still had major, unsolved issues. She pulled a gun on me. After taking over the flock, which was preceded by the flock vote-banning me. Things were just a _tad _tense these days. And last but not least, my heart. Or the empty cavity in my chest where the beating muscle once stood proudly. Now just an empty crevice, taken by a shadow. A thief. My ex-boyfriend, Fang.

It's hard to love, or even be happy, when the best thing that's ever happened to you takes off without even saying goodbye, leaving just a crummy note. Without even a good excuse. Saying we can hook up again in twenty years. I hate him. I love him.

So what now? What do I do from here? Do I wake up and smell the coffee? Just go and pretend nothing tense has happened, initiate Dylan into the flock? Just live my life for twenty years, and then go find Fang and kick his sorry ass?

Nope.

I lay in bed, crying, still unready to face the day.

For once I wished the voice would chime in with some annoying question that would send my mind into overdrive trying to figure out. Nope. Instead it remained quiet, not even sticking around to comfort me. I didn't blame it. My mind wasn't anything anybody wanted to be around these days. The thought of Fang's dead body, his eyes staring up at me, and Angel, my baby, pulling a gun on me were enough to make me sick every time I thought about them. But now Fang's note, left casually on the desk, was the factor that made me more nauseous than any of the other crummy things that fragmented my world in the past week.

But for now it was as if someone had hung a giant sign on my door. A sign that said in large, capital letters: STAY AWAY! HEARTBROKEN FIFTEEN YEAR-OLD INSIDE! ENTER AT YOUR OWN RISK!!!

I felt bad for ruining Total and Akila's wedding, but not bad enough that I would buck up and pretend it didn't bug me. Not yet. I still needed a few days.

A few days and a lot of tissues.


	2. Chapter 2

2

"This is getting out of hand!" That was Jeb.

Jeb.

The name sends an odd assault of emotions across my already overly-emotional brain. I remembered how a few weeks ago he had actually snapped back at me, saying he had had enough of my attitude and that I should be grateful he rescued me from the School in the first place. That had been a wakeup call, sort of. It just took a bullet from an enemy to totally make me give him a little bit of trust back. Not enough to consciously admit it, but it was still there.

"No," Dylan said, and my super-sonic hearing picked up on what sounded like human contact. Dylan blocking Jeb from doing something?

And no, in case you were wondering, I wasn't eavesdropping. They were standing right outside my door.

"Let her rest," Dylan again. He sounded like he actually cared. Like Jeb was legitimately pissing him off. Good for him. I can only hope after his failed suicide attempt Dylan had aged a bit. At least enough to not snatch random needles off the ground and inject them into his skin. If you're going to kill yourself, do it right Dyl, I thought bitterly. Though of course I didn't mean it. Any more deaths, or random flock members leaving, or anything else like that would throw me completely off, and I'd never leave this room.

"She's been resting for two days!" Jeb said, sounding peeved. Good, I thought.

"And she can continue to rest for as long as she needs to rest," Dylan suddenly had an icy steel to his voice. A chilling tone I had only heard him utter once.

I knew they would continue to argue so I sat up, groaning, and yanked the door open. "What?!" I asked, not in the mood to talk to either of them. Neither of them was very high on my list of favorite people.

"Max, I tried sending him away," Dylan asked, his sincere blue eyes digging into my brown, unforgiving eyes."

"It's okay," I said, annoyed that he felt he had to protect me. I didn't need anyone. "So what do you want?" I directed the question at Jeb. He looked me in the eye.

"Max," Jeb began. "We need to talk."

"Can't it wait?" I practically snarled at him.

"I'm afraid not. Not when you just plan on up and leaving the Flock," Jeb's eyes bore into mine with a gaze so intense that I was basically forced to look down.

"Tell Angel to stay out of my head," I said through gritted teeth, annoyed more than anything else. Why would Angel be reading my thoughts now? After everything she did? After Fang left me? Why?

"I asked her to keep a tab on your thoughts. For a while anyway," Dylan asked, his face practically begging for forgiveness. "I'm sorry Max. But I was worried something like this was going to happen, and that you'd just leave to look for Fang," When he said Fang his pretty face turned to a scowl for a quick moment, before returning back to its former beauty.

"Tel l her to stop," I said, slamming the door.

It's not like they can really expect me to stay. Not with Fang gone. True, this was basically proving every point in Fang's letter. This was proving him right; that I cared more about him than the rest of the Flock. Which wasn't true, I just…need him with me when I take care of everyone else. I saw a movie once where some girl needed closure in order to move on. Maybe I was just seeking closure?

Either way, tomorrow I was going to tell the Flock Iggy was in charge until I got back. I would come back. With or without Fang.


	3. Chapter 3

3

Today's the day.

My Flock was totally mystified. They thought I would be heartbroken, and never want to even mention Fang. But when I told them I was going to find his sorry butt they just stared at me. What else did they expect? Nudge started crying when I told her what I planned to do. Iggy sort of changed. I guess he wasn't expecting he would have to take care of the whole Flock now.

"But don't worry, Ig," I said, if only to reassure him. "I don't expect to be gone for long. After all, how hard will it be to find him? I'm not asking you guys to change places, though if you get attacked feel free to. I'll find some internet café and email you guys to find out where you are. I honestly don't think I'll be gone for more than a week." He still didn't look certain. "And Dylan can help you," I added as an afterthought, thinking of what Fang had crossed out in his letter to me.

After Fang left, Nudge gave me his old laptop. On the desktop was a small folder with a number of unpublished documents that were to go on his blog. One of them was a rough draft of the letter he had left for me. He said Dylan belonged. For some reason he took that out of the final draft.

"Max," Angel said, and I looked at her. She had guilt written all over her face. "What if…"

I knew what she was going to say before the words left her mouth. Everyone did. No one needed Angel's mind-control power to know what she was thinking. "I know he probably doesn't want me to look for him. In fact, he doesn't at all. But he left that damn folder, and that has clues as to what he's gonna be up to. If he REALLY didn't want me to find him, he should've deleted it all." I felt proud of myself for that point. It was totally true.

Dylan and Jeb were both quiet this whole time. Dylan looked melancholy, while Jeb looked flat-out confused. "Jeb," I said, and he looked me square in the eye. "If I get back and any of them are harmed. And I mean any of them, which includes Total, Akila, my mother, or Dylan, I'll finish the job the bullet started,"

He nodded, knowing that I was instilling a small amount of trust in him. He also knew that was a straight up death threat, and that I was one-hundred percent serious about this.

"Guys," I said, feeling guilty at everyone's faces. "I really won't be that long. I promise I'll only be gone a week." Besides, I added in my head, this is a good thing. It really was. The Flock needed time to get over what happened recently, and I needed time to think about everything. Not just everything that happened with Fang, but _everything. _Including how the rest of the flock feels about me. Angel pulling a gun on me usually doesn't show that they want me around. And, you know, me being kicked out of the Flock.

I didn't know what else to say, so I backed away. "I'll be back," I repeated. "Just one week,"


	4. Chapter 4

4

Flying alone was one of the most amazing experiences of my life. Especially lately, because it was the only time I was free. Not just physically free, but free from mind-reading seven year-olds. And free from Dylan knocking on my door seven times a day asking if I wanted to go out for a flight. I was just purely free.

And purely depressed. I mean seriously. I know I shouldn't leave the flock, but what else was I expected to do? I needed to find Fang. He was going to be pissed. But you know what? He was right in his letter, he did start this. He did make my world shades of gray. So this was basically this fault anyway. He was just going to have to face the consequences.

About an hour after I flew, I realized I honestly wasn't sure where to go. I wondered if Fang ended up posting anything new on his blog. Thanking God for remembering my laptop, I landed in a nearby park and sat down in the lush grass, pulling the small computer out of my bag. As it booted up I looked around, trying to make sure no one was coming toward me with knives or any other fun anti-birdkid weapons. Old habit.

To my great interest the scum-bag did post something on the internet. My heart sped up as I opened it, waiting impatiently for it to load.

**Welcome to Fang's Blog**

**You are Visitor Number: This thing broke again, and since I don't have my favorite computer-savvy birdkid with me anymore, there is probably no fixing it**

**Today's Date: Three Days Later**

_I don't know if anyone heard the news, but I'm traveling on my own for a while. I need to do my own thing. Of course I miss Maximum, but I can't help but feel this is for the best. She and the rest of the flock are always in my mind, and I keep thinking I see them everywhere. All I want to do is just go back and join them. Even if it means putting up with Dylan. If you don't know who Dylan is, he appeared on an episode of Access Hollywood or something, a few days ago. That was when Angel was the temporary Flock leader. Go figure._

_Anyway, I'm heading east, inland. I'm thinking of starting out what I set out to do where it basically started. I wrote that sentence and even I don't know what it means. Bottom line is, I can't say directly where I'm going or what I'm doing because I'm afraid an enemy will follow, which will entail more gruesome fights, and more longing for the rest of the Flock to fight with me. _

_Anyway, I should get flying again. _

_Peace out,_

_Fang_

I knew immediately where he was going. He was going to the first institute in New York, the one where we got Total. And this laptop. I remembered all the mutants who had escaped. Had they expired, or were some still running amok somewhere, desperately looking for a place to belong? I remember specifically a girl around Nudge's age, escaping with us. She seemed to know Ari.

That was where fang was going. That's where I was going.


End file.
